News Ink Issue 2 Hidden Treasures of the Northeast Kingdom by NewsINK

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Northeast Kingdom Vol. 3, Issue 2

News Ink Staff Patrick Hilton Correspondent

Elizabeth Chenard Graphic Designer

Taylor Young Correspondent

Kyle Gould Correspondent

Mary Sendobry Correspondent

Sam Spaulding Correspondent

Bruno F. Battistoli Executive Editor

Brad Hickox Correspondent

A Fond Farewell By Dr. Bruno F. Battistoli

This is our final issue of NewsInk for this academic year, and my final issue as editor and instructor of the course that produced it. The reader will find a potpourri of stories in these pages, as unique and diverse as the Northeast Kingdom that inspired them. Our writers take you to the top of a mountain, the shores of a glacial lake, a Buddhist monastery, a bucolic family inn, a maple sugar house, a cat shelter, a museum for 1960s protest puppets, a honey-based distillery, and a look inside Town Meeting Day politics with their roots in Vermont’s colonial past. It’s a delightful trek through the Kingdom, and it has been my pleasure to walk it with you.

Table of Contents Just Skimming the Surface by Kyle Gould......................................... page 4 Syrup- A Family Tradition by Kyle Gould........................................... page 8 Ill Wind Blows No Good by Sam Spaulding........................................ page 12 Lyndon Debate Goes ‘Down Under’ by Patrick Hilton...................... page 17 Heavenly Hospitality by Patrick Hilton.............................................page 23 Wowed by Willoughby by Brad Hickox...............................................page 26 Bursting Burke by Brad Hickox..........................................................page 30 Counterculture Puppets Live On in Glover by Taylor Young..........page 35 The Cat’s Meow by Mary Sendobry....................................................page 39 A Commitment to Compassion by Sam Spaulding...........................page 44 Bees Buzz With Spirits & Health By Mary Sendobry......................page 48 Sources.................................................................................................... page51

Just Skimming the Surface Pond Skim Returns to Burke By Kyle Gould

The only way to end a ski season right is with a party. And for ski areas across America, the annual pond skimming competitions are a great way to celebrate the year that was. This year, the Pond Skimming competition returned to Burke Mountain, and those who love the mountain couldn’t have been happier. Huddled around a grill below the Mid-Burke Lodge, three competitors sat tailgating while they geared up for this year’s competition. Jon Unsworth and Dan Price of Lyndonville, and Zach Waldner of St. Johnsbury, showed up

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early to make sure they would be able to sign up for one of the 50 spots available in this year’s competition. “We got up here at about 7 o’clock so we knew we would get a spot,” Price said. “Since there was not a lot of snow last year, Burke had to cancel last year,” Unsworth said. “We definitely didn’t want to miss out this year.” The Pond Skimming competition is set up as a single elimination tournament. Preparation starts the day before, as groomers at the mountain piled snow at

the bottom of the Warrens Way Trail at Burke. That pile of snow is then lined with a tarp-like material, which is then filled with water, forming a pond. The goal for the competitors is to build enough speed coming down the hill to enable them to skim across the pond. It’s no easy feat. Although bluebird skies graced the mountain, competitors were a little surprised with the weather. Unsworth, a veteran of five previous Pond Skims (two at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire and three at Burke), said this was the coldest he had ever experienced.

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“Usually it’s really warm, but today its cold and windy,” Unsworth said. “It’s definitely going to make the water in the pond cold.” As the start time of 1:00 p.m. drew closer, the competitors donned their costumes. In past years, there were specific themes. Not this time. “This year, they made it an open theme,” Waldner said. “It’s pretty cool. It allows us to be whatever we want to be.” Costume inspirations came from everywhere. Waldner and Unsworth drew their inspirations from their favorite

“You want to hit the water with as much speed as possible. And right as you hit the water, you want to lean back, not too far, but enough so you can glide across.” -Unsworth television shows. “I was Rickey, from the show Trailer Park Boys,” Unsworth said. “I wasn’t sure who I was going to be, but I found a shirt just like the one he wears in the show.” “I dressing up as Willy Robertson, from Duck Dynasty,” Waldner said. Some people chose to base their characters on Northeast Kingdom legends. “I dressed up as Jack Savasa,” Price said. Savasa is the longtime head of

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grounds and maintenance at Burke Mountain. “It was a last minute decision, but I pulled it off great, I think. I was hoping to win best costume, but I didn’t.” Finally, it was their turn to head across the pond. The veteran Unsworth had been successful in three of his previous five Pond Skim attempts, and explained the strategy that he hoped would lead him across. “Speed is key,” Unsworth said. “You want to hit the water with as much speed as possible. And right as you hit the

water, you want to lean back, not too far, but enough so you can glide across.” The three friends were lucky enough to have their numbers in sucession. Unsworth was up first. At the beginning, it appeared he had enough speed to make it. But as soon as he hit the water, his speed evaporated, and he sunk into the pond about five feet short of the far edge. Waldner and Price didn’t fare any better. And the pond exacts a toll on those who don’t make it. “Its so cold in there, I have to go get warmed up,” Price said with a grin. “It seemed like we started closer to the pond this year,” said Waldner. “I just couldn’t get enough speed.” As the day progressed, the start line was continually moved closer to the pond. After five rounds, a winner was declared. Winners and losers alike joined in post-race tailgating. As with most things at Burke, family plays an important role. “My mom and dad came up this year,” Price said. “Having them here this year made it great.” Even those who weren’t competing took advantage the event as a time for family bonding. Cathy Cook and her daughter, Amanda, made the two-and-a half-hour trek up from Boston just to see pond skimming. “We try and get to Burke at least once a year,” Cathy Cook said. “We were bummed when pond skim was canceled last year, so we made it a point to get here

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this year.” “I wanted to compete,” Amanda said, “But by the time we got here, all the spots had been filled. But you just can’t beat the atmosphere here at Burke. Its always a good time.” This year’s Pond Skim was held on Burke’s last weekend of operation, as warming temperatures signaled an end to the year. But people are already looking forward to next season, and next year’s Pond Skim. They just need to let their boots dry out first.■

Syrup - A family Tradition By Kyle Gould

The sun was just starting to set as Jeff

Goodwin fired up his boiler on a clear April evening. The end of maple sugar season 2013 is quick approaching, and Goodwin is just shy of his season production goal. “It ain’t gonna be a banner year by any means,” says Goodwin, of Goodwin Family Maple in St. Johnsbury. “We’re at 880 gallons right now. Our goal is about 1,500. I think we could get to 1,200.” To meet that goal, Goodwin and his family has had to collect more than 40,000 gallons of sap.

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Sap starts to form in the trees in late winter and early spring. The warming temperatures cause the maple trees to turn the starches they stored in the winter into sugars. Sap is the product of the sugars mixing with water in the tree. Sap is composed mainly of water and about 2 percent sugar. Ideal temperatures for sap flow are 20 degrees at night and 40 degrees during the day. During the night, the cooler temperatures allow the trees to draw in more water, mixing with the sugar to create the sap. The warmer temperatures during the day allow the sap to flow from the trees.

Making maple syrup has been bringing the Goodwin family together for four decades. Boil the water out of the sap, and you get that sweet golden brown liquid to spread all over your pancakes or ice cream. The first step in making maple syrup is to collect the sap from the trees. The collection methods have changed over the years as technology has changed. When Goodwin started in the industry 42 years ago, buckets were the preferred method, a method that is still employed by many producers today. Buckets are set up in late winter. The producer will drill a hole into the tree, insert a drain, attach a bucket, and wait for the sap to flow. The

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first year Goodwin sugared, he had 90 taps, but that number has increased over the years. “We’ve got 3,600 taps, and between 25 and 30 miles of line,” Goodwin said. “I know a lot of people that have six, eight, 10,000 taps, and some that have 20,000.” The line is the newer, more modern way of collecting sap. Now, instead of hanging buckets, Goodwin has a series of plastic tubes connected to the trees. This allows the sap to flow to one central location for collection. The lines can also

be kept in the trees year round, eliminating hours of prep work before the season begins. “Its a lot better than going to each bucket all the time,” Goodwin says with a smile. As the years have gone by, Goodwin has seen other advantages of that tubing. Changes in climate have led to inconsistent seasons. The tubing that Goodwin and others now install has vacuum pumps that help draw more sap out of the trees. “Years ago, with buckets, you would get plenty of sap, and now, you can get sap, but you got to have vacuums.” he said. “If you really want to make some maple syrup you have to have vacuum. It just doesn’t get warm enough to run or it doesn’t get cold enough to run.” Warm temperatures early last spring lead to an early end to the season. At the beginning of this year, Goodwin feared a repeat. But a stretch of good sap-producing weather graced the Northeast Kingdom during the last few weeks of March, extending the season just a little bit longer. But as March turned to April, Goodwin knew the season was closing out. The end of the season is the time when producers start to boil the lower grades of syrup. Maple syrup comes in different grades. In the U.S., the grades are Grade “A” and Grade “B.” Grade “B” is the darkest, and is generally used for cooking. Grade “A” is the best for putting

1. Sap boiling into syrup. 2. Jeff Goodwin at work. 3. Sugar house boiler. 3 News Ink - Issue 2 - Treasures of the Northeast Kingdom

on pancakes or waffles in the morning. Grade A consists of three subdivisions, Light Amber, Medium Amber, and Dark Amber. Many different factors come into producing either the “A” or “B” grade, but Goodwin attributes most of the work to Mother Nature. “This time of the year we’re making our low-end grades, like the ‘B’s,” Goodwin said. “Your light grades come earlier in the year when it’s a bit cooler.” Last year, in Goodwin’s fortieth year of making syrup, he celebrated a milestone. He finally moved into his own sugarhouse with his own boiler. “I’d always been in someone else’s sugarhouse, and last year I finally had my own,” he said. “It’s kind of nice.” The Goodwin Family Maple sugarhouse sits adjacent to Interstate 91 south-bound in St. Johnsbury. He said it has been an excellent location, providing customers easy access to his product. Goodwin loves his new boiler. Actually, it’s not so much a boiler as it is an evaporator. The goal in making maple syrup is to boil off the water content in the sap, leaving the sugar. Goodwin said the evaporator works like a river. There is a pipe that pumps in the sap, and as the water is boiled off, more sap is able to flow in. When the boiler at its hottest, it can boil off a whopping 16 gallons of water a minute. “It’s like a hybrid car,” he said. “A hybrid car gets the maximum gas mileage out of its engine. Well, I get the maximum

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heat out it.” Maple syrup has played an integral part in New England culture. In the early years, making maple syrup wasn’t so much about making money; it was a necessity for survival, a cheap way for families in New England to get their sugar, rather than buying expensive imported sugar. While today it is not so much a necessity as it is a commodity, it is something that brings the Goodwin family together. “The family part is the best part of it,” Goodwin says. “There’s four generations in here some nights. My brothers come in and help, aunts and uncles are here, my boys are here, my grandchildren are here most nights. Its great.” As the year closes out, Goodwin will still be busy. He works with his family as a builder. But as the summer turns to fall, he looks forward to the first days of spring, when the sap begins to flow, and he can fire up his boiler once again and make maple syrup with his family. ■

Ill Wind Blows No Good

Newark Digs in Against Industrial Wind Power By Sam Spaulding

From the hills of Newark, Vt., any of its

it up to the possibility of spending much more. 581 residents can look west and see the “If it is $50,000, if it is $100,000, turbines along Granby Mountain and Libif it is $150,000, it is worth it,” Newark by Hill that make up neighboring Shefresident Jen Clausing said at the meeting.2 field’s 21st-century wind farm. Looking While these events played out in east, they see Newark’s ridgeline made Newark, residents of Sheffield had much up of Walker Mountain, Packer Moundifferent issues to vote on concerning tain and Hawk Rock, a landscape most wind power. In 2005, Sheffield voted in residents of Newark cherish, and an area favor of allowing commercial wind turthat was at the heart of the discussion at bines on their land by a vote of 120-93. this year’s town meeting. The Wind First project came to fruition It is often said that it is not the in 2011, with the erection of a 16-turbine size of the dog in the fight but the size wind farm on Granby Mountain and Libof the fight in the dog that matters, and by Hill. According to Town Clerk and nowhere does that seem more true than in Newark’s ongoing battle with “If it is $50,000, if Treasurer Kathy Newland, the town receives $520,000 annually commercial wind power. While it is $100,000, if it from Wind First, and that reveneighboring towns like Lowell and Sheffield have been profit- is $150,000, it is nue stream will continue to for at least the next 20 years. Sheffield ing from partnerships with wind worth it.” power companies, Newark has -Jen Clausing, residents are reaping the benefits. been spending money trying to Newark resident For the second year in a row the town has voted to split this monkeep these companies away. Afey, with half going toward reducter Town Meeting Day it’s clear that the ing the town tax and the other half going town will continue to do so. By an 88-12 into savings. This means the town tax on margin, residents of Newark approved a $100,000 home dropped from $743 to raising the town’s tax rate by roughly $118, according to the Burlington Free $0.05 to fund legal opposition to wind Press.3 power development in their town.1 While one town overwhelmingly “It was made clear people in agrees to pay more to keep the turbines town supported fighting industrial wind out, another gladly pays less after letting at whatever cost,” said Town Treasurer them in. Joan Bicknell. So why fight so hard to keep out a Before the vote was cast on the company that claims on its website, “Wind article, residents amended it by removing energy projects bring real and lasting vallanguage that limited the select board to ue to host communities and the State of spending $50,000 on legal fees, opening

“It was made clear people in town supported fighting industrial wind at whatever cost.” -Joan Bicknell, Newark Town Treasurer

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“I believe, along with many others, that we should turn over to our children and grandchildren, the ‘future generations,’ a state that is as good or better than the one left to us. One with the pristine beauty of the ridges, the pure water of the lakes, streams … and all other facets of a clean and healthy environment .” -John M. Lewandowski, Newark resident Vermont”? Some Newark residents have a different view of what “real and lasting value” means in the community. John M. Lewandowski, a Newark resident, retired after nearly three decades of working in the gas and electric industry, over onethird of which was in electric generation, and is an outspoken opponent of commercial wind turbines. “I believe, along with many others, that we should turn over to our children and grandchildren, the ‘future generations’, a state that is as good or better than the one left to us,” Lewand-

owski wrote in a letter to the editor of the Caledonian-Record. “One with the pristine beauty of the ridges, the pure water of the lakes, streams, etc., and all other facets of a clean and healthy environment … “Everybody in the state should come to Seneca Mountain Wind’s proposed wind factory sites in Newark, Brighton, and Ferdinand, to see for themselves, the wanton destruction taking place on the ridgelines.”4 The controversy over wind power first blew into Newark on March 7, 2012, when New Hampshire-based

Protesters demonstrate against wind power in Newark outisde Gov. Schumlin’s office in Montpelier. (photo: Burlington Free Press)

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“I believe that wind in Vermont, carefully placed, makes a lot of sense. You can always take it down.” -Gov. Peter Schumlin Seneca Mountain Wind announced that they wanted to erect a wind measuring tower on the Hawk Rock ridgeline. Having seen the process happen in neighboring Sheffield, Newark residents decided to act fast, and within 16 days Newark’s planning commission had informed the company that their plans were not allowed under the town plan, and the tower would not be permitted. Soon after, residents organized the opposition group Newark Neighbors United, and weekly meetings began taking place. Within two months of Seneca Mountain Wind’s proposal a petition opposing their plans, which could eventually lead to a 35-tower wind farm in Newark, Brighton and Ferdinand, had been signed by more than 300 people, including more than half of Newark’s registered voters.5 The strong opposition to industrial wind power in Newark, coupled with the desire for a speedy response, led to the town amending their town plan on Sept. 17, 2012. The new plan states that, “Newark residents have expressed concern over the impact of industrial development, fearing that it could destroy the character of the town. Therefore, industrial-scale power generation and transmission facilities are inappropriate in the town.6 The new plan also states that that any commercial or industrial development taking place at elevations greater than 1,700 feet are inappropriate and do

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not comply with the town’s intentions of protecting its natural beauty.7 In a press release issued the following day, Mike Channon, chairman of the select board, stated, “The industrial wind developers who have targeted our town claim that they ‘take pride in being good neighbors and active, responsible community members.’ We urge the developers to read our town plan and do the responsible thing: withdraw their application to construct a MET tower in Newark.”6 Channon also sent a letter to Governor Peter Schumlin, writing, “You stated that you would instruct the Commissioner of the Department of Public Service to inform the Public Service Board that your administration will not support construction of industrial wind turbines in towns that do not want them. Please inform the commissioner that Newark does not want wind turbines.”6 Gov. Schumlin, who has been a supporter of utility-scale wind development in the state, said, “I believe that wind in Vermont, carefully placed, makes a lot of sense. You can always take it down.” And he has singled out the Northeast Kingdom as an area that should not have a “disproportionate” amount of wind development. “I think the first thing we should do is identify all the places we will never put it and then we can have the discussion about a process that allows us to

put it in the places that it should go.”8 But he has made little comment on the battle in Newark. The hope that the new town plan would solve Newark’s problems soon disappeared, when on Oct. 16, 2012, Hawk Rock Holdings, the landowner that leased its land to Seneca Mountain Wind, filed suit against Newark.7 In a lawsuit filed by Stockpole and French, a law firm based in Stowe, Hawk Rock Holdings, LLC states, “Upon receiving notice of SMW’s application to the Public Service Board, the Town of Newark Planning Commission (“Planning Commission”) took steps to oppose the proposal, first by moving to intervene in the Public Service Board proceeding on behalf of the Town of Newark without the authority to do so, and then by amending the Newark Town Plan in specific response to the pending application.” It continues, “The 2012 Town Plan contains numerous new provisions which specifically target SMW’s MET Tower Application, but which also have sweeping impacts on Plaintiff and other landowners in Newark.” And finally, “This is not a case about wind power; it is a case about protecting the rights of private property

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owners and maintaining the integrity of the planning process when municipalities face challenging and controversial questions that affect all of their citizens.”9 So began the battle that led Newark to be in the position it was in this past town meeting. With legal bills for their defense surpassing $50,000 so far, and no end in sight, the town gathered to make a decision. “We have a choice,” Planning Commission Chairman Kim Fried said. “We can walk away, or we can stand up for what we believe in.”2 Newark chose to stand up and fight. For some of Newark’s residents, the fight is no longer even about wind power. “To me, this is not a pro-wind or anti-wind issue,” Newark Street School Principal Mary Ann Riggie said. “We followed the rule of law in making a very difficult decision about our town plan, and now we are being told we don’t have the power to do that.”2 Still others remain focused on keeping commercial wind power out of their town and off their ridgelines. The struggle in Newark and neighboring towns between pro-wind and anti-wind advocates is not going anywhere soon. Newark may have an uphill climb ahead,

“There’s been no wind project put forth yet, but the MET towers are a precursor to the wind farm. Once we propose that project, then the town can take a vote on it. And if they oppose what we propose for that town, then we won’t pursue development in that town.” -John Soininen, Seneca Mountain Wind a climb that won’t make the town money, unlike Sheffield, and may cost them more than anyone ever expected. But it’s a climb they are willing to take. Noreen Hession, a Newark resident, program manager and co-founder of Newark Neighbors United, is one of the many that believes that the change wind turbines would have on the town is not worth the money companies like Seneca Mountain Wind would throw at them. She believes that Newark has become a “target,” a belief she expressed in a letter to Governor Shumlin after meeting him at Burke Mountain. “Toward the end of our conversation, I told you that we in Newark do not consider ourselves to be a “host” community; that we view ourselves as a target,” she wrote. “Because I live in what you today referred to as ‘the most beautiful part of Vermont,’ I am blessed with many guests. To me, being a host is an honor. I know I’m a host when my guests are well fed, well rested, and they leave after two or three days. I know I’m a target when folks show up uninvited with dynamite and I need a lawyer to get rid of them.”4 The battle over wind towers continues between Seneca Mountain Wind and some of the towns in the North East Kingdom, including Newark. On April 19 the Public Service Board Hearing Officer released a recommendation that Seneca Mountain be allowed to erect four temporary meteorological towers in Newark, Brighton and Ferdinand. One

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of those towers is to be placed on Hawk Rock in Newark, despite opposition from some residents.10 John Soininen, Eolian project manager for Seneca Mountain, is optimistic about the recommendation. But he made it clear that his company will not pursue installation of actual towers (as opposed to the meteorological test towers) if the towns don’t want them. “There’s been no wind project put forth yet, but the MET towers are a precursor to the wind farm,” he said. “Once we propose that project, then the town can take a vote on it. And if they oppose what we propose for that town, then we won’t pursue development in that town.”11 A slimmed-down version of Senate Bill 30 passed a second reading on the House floor on Friday, April 26. The bill, which first called for a three-year moratorium on large wind scale development, was first revised to $75,000 worth of studies, and now merely calls for four to six meetings during the legislative off-season to address the report and recommendations of the Governor’s Energy Siting Policy Commission. After a final vote the bill will go back to the Senate for approval.12■

Lyndon Debate Goes ‘Down Under’ By Patrick Hilton

Town Meeting Day, a unique New En-

gland democratic tradition, is dying a slow and painful death. Attendance has been declining for years now, marking the first time town meeting records show attendance that did not reach the century mark. A new petition has been brought to the townspeople of Lyndon to put all special appropriations for the 2014 town meeting on an Australian ballot, which, if passed, would radically change Lyndon’s town meeting. Town meeting turnout has been on a steady decline in the town of Lyndon for the past 10 years, and the citizens know it. Dave Cobb, former Lyndon Town School principal and resident of Lyndon, sees it as a big problem. “This is

my 23rd town meeting, and I think it’s sad that we are deciding the town budget with less than 100 people in attendance,” he said. “Town meeting isn’t what it used to be. There are a lot of employers that don’t see the benefits of giving Town Meeting Day off. Others perceive that there is nothing there, and that they have no say.” An item on the agenda was special appropriations, an issue that would be on an Australian ballot for the 2014 town meeting if the petition succeeds. At this year’s meeting, funding items were settled rather smoothly. Yet there was a familiar voice in the crowd discussing each item, a disgruntled citizen exercising her rights of free speech. Carol Fisher was born in St.

“This is my 23rd town meeting, and I think it’s sad that we are deciding the town budget with less than 100 people in attendance.” -Dave Cobb, former Lyndon Town School principal

Moderator and State Senator Joe Benning takes questions at the town meeting in Lyndon at the Lyndon Town School on Tuesday, March 5.

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“Freedom of Speech,” one of the Four Freedoms painting by Norman Rockwell, depicts a Vermonter at town meeting expressing his opinion.

Johnsbury, raised in Sutton, and moved back home to Lyndonville in 1975. She has attended every town meeting since. “Town meeting used to fill the auditorium at Lyndon Institute,” she said. The capacity of Lyndon Institute Alumni Auditorium is 650. Only 91 attended this year’s meeting. “I feel like the drop in numbers comes from the people just feeling defeated,” Fisher said. “We show up at town meeting and try to get budgets cut, or address different budgets and get the same old answer, ‘Oh, that’s a fixed thing, we can’t cut that.’ People just started to question why they even bothered showing up. On top of that, in today’s world, people can’t afford to take a day off.” According to the Vermont Secretary of State’s website, each citizen has a legal right to attend town meeting, regardless of what their employers or professors think: Vermont law makes town meeting a holiday for employees of state government. The law also gives and employee the right to take unpaid leave from work to attend his or her annual town meeting, subject to the essential operation of busi-

ness or government. An employee must give their employer at least seven days notice if he or she wants to take advantage of this right to attend town meeting. Students who are over 18 also have the right to attend town meeting, unless the student is in state custody at a secure facility. These students may not be treated as truants for missing school to attend town meetings.1 Whatever the reason may be, the fact remains that turnout at town meeting in Lyndon is a problem. Fisher says that she organized the petition drive for Australian ballot to address that issue. This year’s town meeting, and every town meeting before it, have all been run by “normal” town meeting rules. An item comes up for discussion, is moved and seconded, and then discussed. Once there is no more discussion, the moderator “calls the question” at hand, whether it be the town budget or the special appropriations. The town then votes “aye” to agree and pass the item, “nay” to vote it down entirely, or more discussion can occur, and the process repeats. In the normal town meeting, items can be changed and amended based on discussion on the

“I feel like the drop in numbers comes from the people just feeling defeated. We show up at town meeting and try to get budgets cut, or address different budgets and get the same old answer, ‘Oh, that’s a fixed thing, we can’t cut that.’” -Carol Fisher, Lyndon resident News Ink - Issue 2 - Treasures of the Northeast Kingdom

“The [Australian Ballot] petition is to let the people who cannot attend town meeting have a chance to vote on these special appropriations if they so choose to. Right now 80 people are voting for 3,000 people.” -Carol Fisher issue. In an Australian ballot system, discussion can occur on any of the articles, but amending one (for example, voting to reduce or eliminate the appropriation of $1,000 for Catamount Arts) cannot be done. The articles can be discussed, but all of the items would be on a paper ballot to be voted on after town meeting has completed. Fisher claims that the benefit of this system is that people who cannot go to town meeting can still vote if they choose to until the polls close. “A lot of places don’t take Town Meeting Day off or even give vacation days to residents who might want to go,” Fisher said. “I was talking with one woman in White’s Market, and she said it was the first year that she and her husband couldn’t afford to take the day off to be at town meeting, and because of that she thanked me for starting my petition.” Fisher says it’s a matter of representation. “The petition is to let the people who cannot attend town meeting have a chance to vote on these special appropriations if they so choose to,” she said. “Right now 80 people are voting for 3,000 people. All of these appropriations are going through because the people that attend town meetings have affiliations with

these associations.” Fisher noted that the majority of those in attendance at town meeting were there only to support their own agenda items and special appropriations. Instead of the townspeople going to town meeting to discuss issues and budgets as a community, the only people in attendance were there for their own personal gain. “I had one man come up to me and say, ‘You want all the uninformed people voting?’ Well, all they have to do is pick up a town report and the write-ups are there for all the appropriations,” Fisher said. “I just have a problem because to me it is non-essential tax dollars that are coming out of my property tax. Most of them are already federally funded, state funded. I shouldn’t have to pay for something that I don’t use, again.” So how would this petition change town meeting in Lyndon? The idea is met with heavy resistance by some citizens. Vermont State Senator and Town Moderator Joe Benning believes town meeting would whittle down to nothing if this petition gets passed. “A lot of towns have moved to an Australian ballot system because they want everybody to vote,” he said. “The drawback to that is that they don’t actually get to come into the room

Faneuil Hall in Boston, where the very first Town Meeting was held on March 14, 1743.

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“With an Australian ballot system you are locked in. In your normal town meeting like you see here, you always have the opportunity to be flexible in what you do, and to have people actually engage in the debate. To me, that’s one of the critical components of living in a democracy. Each individual has the right to participate to the fullest extent possible.” -Town Moderator and Vermont State Senator Joe Benning and hear all the debate going back and forth about any given appropriation, either necessary or not necessary, so that there is a tradeoff when you move away from a normal town meeting and go towards an Australian ballot system.” Benning’s thoughts are echoed by former Lyndon Town School Principal Cobb. “I am also not in favor of Australian ballot, which gives the people the right to vote only hearing some of the information, without actually being able to hear all the information that is discussed at town meeting,” Cobb said. The Australian ballot method is already in use in Lyndon, after a petition from Fisher was passed to use the system to vote on the school budget. Matt Smith, Lyndon Town School Board member, sees this as a reason why the Lyndon School District Annual Meeting, held at Lyndon Town School immediately following town meeting, has even fewer numbers than the already weak turnout at town meeting. “I think that since the vote went to Australian ballot the opportunity to really change things is now too late,” Smith said. So what I’ve done, or tried to do, is encourage people to come to our actual budget meetings prior to town meeting day, so questions and concerns can be answered and hopefully dealt with ahead of time. As soon as the school budget came up [after town meeting had ended] the

place vacated. With a budget of almost $12 million, you would think that there would be a lot of participation. There just isn’t. It has been mind-boggling to me, in the three and a half years I’ve been on the school board, how little the community gets involved.” With the school budget on Australian ballot, the ability to amend the budget has been eliminated. All of the groundwork is done in the budget meetings throughout the year, at which Fisher is often one of the only citizens of Lyndon to attend. To Senator Benning, that isn’t right. “The best part about the Australian ballot system is that more people have an opportunity to vote,” Benning said. “But to me, I’m a purist. I like the ability for people to come into a room and ask about things that are happening. One party asked to raise the budget by $1,000. That’s the kind of thing you cannot do if you have an Australian ballot system.

The Town House in Marlboro, used for town meetings since it was built in 1822. (Google Images)

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You could also move to lower the budget, but with an Australian ballot system you are locked in. In your normal town meeting like you see here, you always have the opportunity to be flexible in what you do, and to have people actually engage in the debate. To me, that’s one of the critical components of living in a democracy. Each individual has the right to participate to the fullest extent possible.” Fisher agrees that each citizen has that right, but says the numbers just don’t add up. “Funny thing is, probably 15 years ago people were talking about doing this Australian ballot petition and I was completely against it, because at the time we were still getting a good turnout at town meeting,” Fisher said. “People were still getting an opportunity to go if they wanted to be there, and we were still seeing over 400 people at the meetings. Now, I’ve seen, over the past five or six years especially, the count just keeps going down and down and down.” Fisher sees the Australian Ballot as a way to change the system in order to better suit the needs of the voters of the town of Lyndon. “The people that take the time after work to go to that ballot box should have a say, or at least the opportunity to have a say,” she said. “It is their tax money too. And I don’t think that it will deter the number at town meeting at all.” Senator Benning disagrees. He said that despite its falling attendance,

town meeting still serves a big role in town government, and should be a bigger part of the townspeople’s lives, says Benning. “I think that there are a lot of people that are concerned about the amount of money that they are spending, and people have a right to come out and talk about these subjects,” he said. “It’s really important that the people feel as if they have got a vested interested in the whole process, and that is what town meeting is all about. One of the things that town meeting has always impressed upon me is that people actually have a voice in their town.” The declining attendance at town meeting could be a generational issue. “For whatever reason, younger people just don’t seem to get involved, and I can’t answer why,” said school board member Matt Smith. “They have a voice and they are allowed to use it, but for whatever reason they don’t.” That’s one point upon which Smith and Fisher can agree. “A lot of younger people weren’t brought up going to town meeting every year,” Fisher said. “I remember going to town meeting when I was five years old. It was a different world back then.”■

The Town of Lyndon is presented with information at Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 5. (Photo by Taylor Young) www.issuu.com/newsink

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Heavenly Hospitality A Splendid Throwback

There is no better place to be in the sum-

mer than the Northeast Kingdom (NEK) of Vermont. With some 62,000 residents spread over 2,000 square miles, the NEK offers the small-town feel of Vermont without compromising its world-class nature and landscape. In 2006, the National Geographic Society named the Northeast Kingdom the most desirable place to visit in the country, and the ninth most desirable place to visit in the world.2 Lyndonville lies within Caledonia County, one of three counties that make up the NEK, and is one of the more populated areas of the Kingdom. Just outside of downtown Lyndonville and only a few miles up Darling Hill Road is the iconic Wildflower Inn, known by many in the area but visited by few Vermonters. Yankee Magazine calls the Wildflower Inn, “New England’s Best Family Resort.” The Wildflower Inn features 24 rooms and suites in an array of buildings on 570 acres of rolling Vermont hills. It’s a country village setting that provides a unique feeling of community. The Wildflower does its best to give its guests the most relaxing stay possible, so there are no phones or televisions in the rooms and lobbies. But, in a nod to the Internet age, there is free Wi-Fi access throughout the property. The innkeepers, Jim and Mary O’Reilly, purchased the property in 1984.

By Patrick Hilton

At the time, it consisted of an old farmhouse and barns, which they transformed into what is now the Wildflower Inn. It is truly a family resort, as the O’Reillys raised their eight children on the property, and they seek to provide a family feel that can be shared with all of their guests. The Wildflower Inn has many unique qualities and characteristics. Their animal petting barn is home to horses, goats, cows, and cats. The Inn features a popular two-hour Children’s Program that runs Monday through Saturday from June through August. The children participate in arts and crafts, nature walks, and various summer games, while their parents can enjoy some summer fun in the area. Just down the road from the Wildflower is the popular Vermont Children’s Theater, where NEK youth put on their very own shows for the community.3 The NEK offers something for everyone. Voted the best mountain biking trails in North America by Bike

Willoughby Lake (Google Images)

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Magazine, Kingdom Trails is located just down the hill from the Wildflower Inn in the town of East Burke, rated as one of the top 101 outdoor towns in the United States. Just two miles out of East Burke is Burke Mountain Ski Resort, which runs the chairlift in the summer for mountain bikers who want some downhill action. Also a part of the famous Kingdom Trails, the downhill trails on Burke Mountain offer no work, all fun riding all day. Just a short drive north from Burke Mountain lies iconic Willoughby Lake, nestled between Mt. Hor and Mt. Pisgah, which together make up the famed “Willoughby Gap” that can be seen from the Wildflower Inn. One of Vermont’s clearest and deepest glacial waters, Lake Willoughby is a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike, and offers a great place for relaxation after a long day of fun in the Kingdom.■

Petting barn at Wildflower Inn (photo Patrick Hilton)

Kingdom Trail mountain biking (Google Images)

News Ink - Issue 2 - Treasures of the Northeast Kingdom

Aerial view of Wildflower Inn (Google Images)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is such beautiful country up here - it should be called the Northeast Kingdom.â&#x20AC;? - Vermont State Senator George Aiken, while visiting the area in 1949.1

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Wowed by Willoughby Story and Photos by Brad Hickox

It may not be physically hidden in the

Northeast Kingdom, but Lake Willoughby, along with its accompanying sister mountains, is still quite the local treasure.

Carved out by the glacial retreat, Willoughby Gap, as it is known, is quite the geological and visual masterpiece. Over 3,000 feet separate the peak of the taller of the two mountains and the bottom of the lake. Mt. Pisgah sits at 2,751 feet above sea level, while Mt. Hor rises to 2,648, with the deepest points of the lake reaching depths of more than 300 feet. Scientific evidence leads geologists to a glacial conclusion about this feature’s geological origin: “The configuration of the bottom of Lake Willoughby appears to indicate primary glacial gouging along an old river bed. Later influxes of ice widened and deepened the original channel. The pre-glacial river may well have cut its course through a ridge now indicated by Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Hor.1 Between 60,000 and 14,000 years ago, there have been approximately 20 glacial advances and retreats worldwide. We can hypothesize

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that this section of time is when the granite faces of Mount Hor and Mount Pisgah were exposed, along with the shaping of the Willoughby Notch’s U-shaped valley.2 These two mountains are among the many sources of runoff water into Lake Willoughby. Lake Willoughby flows into the Willoughby River from its northwest corner, which eventually connects into South Bay and into Lake Memphremagog. Through other interconnected rivers and lakes, Lake Memphremagog feeds into the St. Lawrence River in Quebec and out into the Atlantic Ocean. The physical characteristics of Mt. Pisgah, Mt. Hor, and Lake Willoughby produce quite the visual contrast. Pisgah and Hor, named for peaks from the Bible, produce views just like those depicted in the ancient text, and

travelers from Vermont and around the world come to see them. Lake Willoughby is also a primary destination for sightseers. For those in even moderate physical condition, the south trail to the summit of Mt. Pisgah is a reasonable hike, and

can be completed in just over an hour. Those in top physical shape can scale the 1,500-foot peak in less then half that time. The White Mountains can be seen from the top of Mt. Pisgah. Although it is an all-season retreat, dangerous hiking conditions can close the mountains. Vermont’s legendary “Mud Season” from mid-April through mid-May is a frequent reason for closure.

To fully immerse myself in this spectacle, I chose to hike Mt. Pisgah and do a loop around the east side of the lake from southeast to northwest. Unfortunately, time did not provide me the opportunity to climb Mt. Hor as well. At the southern part of Lake Willoughby, there is a shore with two beach areas, although this is not a commonly frequented area because it is heavily wooded. From this vantage point, you can look through Willoughby Gap to the northwest. When I did my hike in April, the water near the shore was still frozen, but only for a small distance out into the lake. Moving from southeast to north-

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west, Vermont State Highway 5A parallels the eastern shore of the lake, right next to the nearly vertical western face of one of these rock giants. This mountain is Mt. Pisgah, which is the larger and more imposing-looking mountain. From vantage points along the road, you can look straight up and see portions of the mountain looming directly overhead. Along the mountain side of this road, there are a few waterfall-like features, which drain under the road and into Lake Willoughby. Also along this road, but on the lake side, there is a rocky formation with a cutout in the guardrail that separates the road from a

forbidding drop-off into the water. This spot is popular for those thrill-seekers who don’t want to trudge up a mountain

for their adrenaline kicks. Devil’s Rock, as it is commonly known, sits roughly 15 feet above the lake, with water that feels like ice regardless of season. A short run and jump off of this rock provides my favorite view of Lake Willoughby – from directly above it. Moving northwest on 5A, the mountains wind down to small rolling hills with several inns and getaway hotspots, including its best known, the Willoughvale Inn. Willoughvale has its own rich history. Poet Robert Frost and his

Servant to Servants.”3 The best view of the sister mountains can be had from the junction of Route 5A and Route 16. The beach at the north end of Lake Willoughby looks in a southeastward direction, with the two mountains diving down into the pristine lake. This beach – while unpopulated for most of the year – becomes quite an attraction during the lake’s brief summer season. I have gone to this beach several

times in the past, but have only ventured into the water once. Those familiar with the concept of a polar bear swim understand why. Due to the glacial nature of the lake, its location, and its sheer depth, the water numbs your senses, regardless of season.

family camped on the lakeshore on the farm of George Conley in 1909, which was to become the site of the Willoughvale Inn. Frost wrote about his visits to Willoughby, in a poem entitled, “A

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Moving from the northwest corner at the other end of the beach leads to the west side of the lake on the Mt. Hor side. Much of this area is completely uninhabited, but moving south towards the southern end of the lake on this side, the mountain rises sharply out of the lake, much like Pisgah. All the most beautiful features of the area are visible from the top of Mt. Pisgah. Being able to look at two states

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and a different country from one panoramic viewpoint is truly spectacular. A round-trip hike up and down Mt. Pisgah using the South Trail is four miles, and takes roughly four hours. The 1,500foot elevation gain starts along route 5A and travels north-northwest to the peak.4 Its geological history and pristine nature combine to make Willoughby State Forest one of the Northeast Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hidden treasures.â&#x2013;

Bursting Burke A Sleepy Mountain Town Peers into a Busy Future

Burke held its Town Meeting on March

5, along with nearly every other town in the state. The primary goals of Town Meeting Day are to establish a budget for the town and its schools, to vote on public officials, and to discuss any other pertinent topics on which town boards hold the final authority for the upcoming year. The process of town meeting may not have changed over the years, but the things discussed certainly have. Town Meeting may have officially occurred on March 5 for Burke, but unlike many town meetings in the state, residents were invited to a public meeting the evening of March 4. This session was held in order to discuss and vote on

By Brad Hickox

seven public items on the ballot, and to discuss some issues in the town that were not on any ballots this year. It included an opportunity for residents to hear Sen. Joe Benning and other concerned locals and local officials speak about potential future issues that the town could face. Various public questions were discussed by a small group of town residents during this meeting. Five of the seven articles were passed unanimously by an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ayeâ&#x20AC;? vote. The only reason that the other two articles were not passed was because those in attendance were not sold on the idea of the town officially moving from a Julian to a fiscal calendar year, which would impact taxes and how the town borrows money. Those two items were tabled for further

discussion by the select board. Discussion of the Australian Ballot system made up the only excitement on Town Meeting Day. All items proposed were passed, with none sustaining much of a challenge. Almost nothing changed from last year’s town meeting, aside from one new appropriation and elected town officials. Article 15 of the Town Meeting portion was a $500 appropriation for the Lyndon Area Sports Association, which Town Clerk Priscilla Aldrich said was for the Fenton Chester Arena in Lyndon. Unlike many towns in the Northeast Kingdom, Burke wasn’t faced with difficult decisions on Town Meeting Day, such as closing schools, increasing taxes, or eliminating public positions. In fact, the largest issue facing the town was the condition of it’s roads. Winter takes its toll on Vermont roads in a good year, but decaying roads in the town have added to the plight that they face. Infrastructure repairs make Aldrich uneasy. Even before town meeting, plans were announced to

begin a project on one of the town’s most widely used bridges. Route 114 traverses the bridge in East Burke, which is the main access to Burke Mountain from the south. It needs to be repaired or replaced, either of which would be lengthy and expensive projects that will impact the all-season resort town. The bridge crosses Dish Mill Brook, right next to the East Burke Market and The Pub Outback. Three possible solutions have been proposed for the project. Option 1 involves closing the bridge completely in order to replace it, while diverting traffic onto what some locals consider an unreasonable detour. This project would take four to six months to complete, and is by far the cheapest option, although hard cost estimates for the three options were not provided at the meeting. Option 2 is a phased construction project, which would reduce traffic flow on the bridge to one lane while new construction proceeds on the other half. This would take roughly 18 months, and would be the most expensive option. Option

The largest issue facing the town was the condition of it’s roads.

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3 is building a temporary bridge right next to the existing one, which would cut off access to one neighboring road. This would last roughly six months, and the cost would be somewhere between that of Option 1 and Option 2. Option 3 was the one voted on by those in attendance. According to Vermont Agency of Transportation – or “VTrans” – consultant John Byatt, “the ultimate decision is up to the people.” The Town of Burke covers 34 square miles, encompasses the villages of West Burke, Burke Hollow, and East Burke and, as of 2010, had 1,753 residents. Burke Mountain, the primary tourism spot, makes up just one half of a square mile, tucked into the southeast corner of the town. Burke Mountain is commonly associated with skiing and snowboarding, although that is not the only recreation area the town has to offer. East Burke also features access to the Kingdom Trails, popular for four-season recreational opportunities. Unfortunately, like many other areas in Vermont – and especially the Northeast Kingdom – the economic landscape is not nearly as pretty as the physical one. But now, for the first time in a very long time, there is legitimate promise for the health of the town. Bill Stenger’s EB-5 Project, which is in the final stages of approval from state and national boards, is close to kickoff. EB-5 is a federal immigration program designed to allow foreign businesses to

Sign for Burke Town Meeting.

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provide goods or services to a local area. As the Burlington Free Press reports: “The federal EB-5 immigration program, administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, offers a conditional green card to foreign nationals who invest $1 million in a qualified project in

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the United States, or $500,000 in an economically depressed area of the country, such as the Northeast Kingdom.”1 This project has met some opposition along the way, but as a whole, it seems to be a win-win proposition for the town and Stenger. The town – and region for that matter – receives an economic shot in the arm, the investors get to run their businesses autonomously, and the area receives a new and improved geo-tourism attraction. However, not everyone is sold on the project, and some worry that it will commercialize the town too much, and bring a city atmosphere to a small Vermont town. The biggest issues facing Burke now are the costs for road and infrastructure maintenance, and the capability of the Burke Town School to support a potential influx of new students brought to town under the EB5 program. The project has been approved by the Burke Development Review Board (DRB), and is moving on to the next step, which is Vermont’s Act 250 Law. A subset of the Land Use Panel of the Natural Resources Board, Act 250 is an all-encompassing regulatory process that ensures that environmental laws and regulations aren’t being violated. As part of the expansion, Burke will be opening a new hotel in the East Bowl skiing area, which will feature 116 units on five floors.■

Kingdom Trails information center.

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Story and Photos by Taylor Young

The

historic Glover barn hides it secrets well. Within its wooden walls are thousands of handmade masks, puppets, paintings, and other artistic creations created by owner and well-known Vietnam War protestor Peter Schumann. A native of the Selesia area of Germany, Schumann found his passion in sculpting and dance when he emigrated to the United States. Within three years of his arrival, Schumann began a movement that would leave its mark on New York City and beyond. Schumann began protesting the Vietnam War in the streets of New York City in 1963 with his Bread and Pup-

pet Theater. He and his workers would march down the streets protesting the war with posters and puppets of all sizes. His troupe became known beyond the borders of the City. The puppets were crafted out of solid would and metal, and Schumann’s imagination was the only limit to his creativity. “Puppets have tremendous possibilities in their faces and bodies and hands,” Schumann said. “I build them not as sculptures but as actors. We believe in puppet theater as a wholesome and powerful language that can touch men and women and children alike, and we hope that our plays are true and are saying what

The inside of a bus roof serves as a canvas for Schumann’s art.

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has to be said, and that they add to your enjoyment and enlightenment.” In 1976, Schumann founded the Bread and Puppet museum in the small Northeast Kingdom town of Glover, Vt. Thousands of people poured into the open field near the barn every summer to participate and watch the festivals put on by Schumann and his workers. Viewers would tent out for weeks in surrounding campgrounds during these summer-long festivals. Delicious loafs of homemade bread would be passed out to all audience members, in keeping with the name, the Bread and Puppet House. Schumann said

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that the loaves signified that “art should be as basic to life as bread.” Surrounding farms also helped Schumann feed the people camping on his land. But the festivals were plagued with problems. Schumann had to deal with festival-goers under the influence of alcohol and drugs. There were also health and sanitation issues. Schumann tried to control the problems by banning the people who were causing these problems. But Schumann’s efforts were not enough. The festivals ended in tragedy during the summer of 1999, as Schumann told Marc Estrin in an interview posted on the Bread and Puppet website. “The exact motivation was the total shock at the killing of the father of four children, and the need for an immediate response to that by the theater,” Schumann said. “But this was only the culmination a lot of things leading up to that — trouble and mischief we have heard complaints about for some years. We had discussed other forms of circuses before this happened — going back to a

one-day event, thereby eliminating the need for campgrounds, but this wouldn’t have helped any more at this stage.”1 After a series of meetings following the tragedy, a decision was made. The shows would continue, but on a smaller scale. “We want to make this big mass and mass participation event into an event with smaller masses,” Schumann told Estrin. “We want to try to live more on the farm to make more use of it.”1 The Bread and Puppet house has nestled in those hills for 37 years. People travel from all over to walk the puppet-filled isles and open rooms of the enormous barn. Donations from visitors and the sale of “cheap art” keep the museum open. Schumann and his wife offer tours of the barn, and put on small shows put in “The Cathedral,” the dirt-floor theater located behind the barn.■

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Mike Dente of the Kingdom Animal Shelter.

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The Cat’s Meow The Kingdom Animal

There are cat people, and there are dog

people, and then there are the “others.” Something ingrained in the personality of each seems to drive their choice of pet. Lodged firmly in the “other” category is tech guru Mike Dente of Lyndon State College, who manages a household with representatives of species that are natural enemies: cats and birds. That’s “representatives” with an “s” – Dente has three of each. His love of animals led Dente to donate his time to the Kingdom Animal Shelter in St. Johnsbury, where animals not as fortunate as his find loving care and attention. “I saw that they needed help, a couple years ago, they had like some flyers up,” Dente said, “and I said I really like cats. So I wanted to be involved.” Started in 2003, the shelter is a non-profit organization dedicated to temporarily housing stray or unwanted cats in the St. Johnsbury area. All cats and kittens are spayed or neutered before being put up for adoption in an effort to prevent exponential growth of the cat population. Dente has been a member of the all-volunteer organization for the past three years, and has served as a member of the board of directors, until complaints from his cats at home prompted him to step down. Dente’s skill set is a boon to the shelter. As chief technology officer for Lyndon State College, he is on top of the latest developments in Internet communication. Dente maintains the Kingdom

Story and Photos by Mary Shelter Takes One and All Sendobry Animal Shelter website, oversees its electronic communications with the public, including the Shelter newsletter, and helps with finances by managing and its PayPal account. “At the shelter I do all the I.T. stuff,” he said, “So all the forms, all the printing of all the documents that they need for doing applications for cat adoption and vouchers for spay and neuters, and anything that has to do with electronic publishing I do for them.” Dente said the shelter has changed dramatically since he first began volunteering. Originally open only on weekends, the number of volunteers is nearing 40, which allows them to be open on a daily basis from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. during the week, as well as on weekends for three hours each day. The number of cats

One of the shelter’s “guests”.

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varies throughout the year, with an increase in the kitten population in the spring and fall. In the rest of the year, strays are dropped off, as well as cats people are looking to give away. The shelter takes any cat, regardless of their history. “We’ve had a cat that had one leg missing, some of them are blind, diabetic, we get all kinds,” he said, “We have this one guy, Roman, has had like, a really tough life. He’s got frostbite; he’s lost pieces of his ears and his skin. He looks like somebody just really beat him up, but he was just an outdoor cat for his whole life and he’s had a tough life.” In addition to his telecommunications responsibilities at the shelter, Dente also works as an adoption counselor. He spends time with each individual cat, getting to know his or her personality so he can ensure that the cat goes to the right home. The diverse personalities keep the job exciting and fresh. “We had a cat called Ally,” he said, “But Ally was like a schizophrenic, I mean she really was crazy. I would just be sitting out in the front and I’d hear her start growling and there was nobody there. There was no other cats and she’d just start growling.” Scary, right? Not to Dente. “The schizophrenics are the best,” he said. “The problem with those is usually they don’t get along with other cats, so you can’t even take them. They have to be single cat homes, ‘cause they’re nuts, I mean they’re literally like,

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“Petey and two of his siblings, had a virus in their eyes. Petey lost one of his eyes. One of his brothers or sisters had to have surgery to regain his sight. That cost a serious amount of money, but we did a campaign called ‘Peepers for Petey,’ and we raised the money that covered all of that. If we hadn’t raised the money it would have wiped us out.” -Mike Dente, St. Johnsbury Animal Shelter

nuts. But they’re hilarious; I get a kick out of all of them. The shelter is expensive to run, and it has no permanent source of funding. “We’re all by donation,” Dente said. “The adoption fees are kind of like a drop in the bucket. We do grants, fundraisers, we have a yard sale three times a year that usually brings in $1,500. People donate items and then we raffle them off or sell them.” The health of the local economy has a direct impact on the shelter. “Last year, we did not have as much money coming in,” Dente said. “We were in the red for five quarters until this quarter right now. We were just in the black again.” This, in turn, impacts the shelter’s ability to take in cats and to care for them. The shelter recently had a kitten named Petey and his siblings that were brought in with severe eye problems. The cost for surgery for all the kittens was around $3,000, and the shelter held a fundraiser hoping to raise enough money to cover at least part of it.

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“Petey and two of his siblings, had a virus in their eyes,” he said, “Petey lost one of his eyes. One of his brothers or sisters had to have surgery to regain its sight. That cost a serious amount of money, but we did a campaign called “Peepers for Petey,” and we raised the money that covered all of that. If we hadn’t raised the money it would have wiped us out.” The best part of the job for Dente is the gratification of working with certain cats, and achieving small goals that help the cats adjust to life with humans. He particularly likes working with cats that have had a rough life and are brought to the shelter after being abandoned or mistreated. “I like working with the ones that are tough,” he said. “I really feel like that I can get through to them for some reason, and people at the shelter will agree. They almost call me the cat whisperer sometimes, because I can get the ones that won’t go near anyone, I can get them to come to me and play with me. If one comes in that’s kind of special, I’ll focus on that one. So that’s where the gratification comes from, is taking the

ones that are really far gone and kind of bringing them back because they’re scared. I mean, they’re terrified.” Dente recalled a particularly shy cat that he helped come out of her shell. “We had a cat named Duchess, that would just sit in the back of her crate, and for two weeks straight I went in, probably, two hours, three days a week, and just worked with her the whole “Eventually time, and she just got adopted,” she had to Dente said. “So I was really be put down. excited, and the people said she I sat in the was scared but she’s doing better. But she wouldn’t come to shelter for the end, like if you went to put like an hour her food in she ran in the back, at 11 o’clock and by the time I was done with at night just her she would sit on my lap.” like crying The shelter maintains a with her be- small shrine to those cats that have touched the staff deeply. cause I felt Ashes of the cats and pictures so bad.” are kept as reminders of how -Mike Dente rewarding working at the shelter is for the volunteers. One cat, Tilly, left a significant impact on Dente and the staff. She was an old cat that was brought in with a thyroid problem, but after a year of staying in the shelter, no one had chosen her to join their home and she died in the shelter. “Eventually she had to be put down,” he said, “I sat in the shelter for like an hour at 11 o’clock at night just like crying with her because I felt so bad.” Dente does not plan on leaving the

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shelter anytime soon, and only wants the best for the cats. He offers some advice for those who may be looking to adopt a cat. “Giving old cats to families with young children, we won’t do something like that because the cat will just, either kill the kid, shred them or be miserable,” he said. “So you give them a kitten.” And he offered a trade secret. “If you’re going to do a kitten,” Dente said, “you should do two kittens.”■

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A Commitment to Compassion Buddhist Center Offers Oasis of Peace The Milarepa Center is a Tibetan Bud-

dhist retreat center located on 265 acres of wooded mountainside and rolling fields, overlooking the Connecticut River valley in Barnet, Vt. It was founded in 1981 by students of Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and is named after Milarepa, an 11th-century yogi famous for attaining enlightenment in a single lifetime. The first residents of the Milarepa Center converted an abandoned farmhouse and two historic barns into living areas in the early 1980s. It was a

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By Sam Spaulding

primitive life. The residents lived without electricity or running water. The original benefactor and first director was Peter Baker. Today the director of the center is the Venerable Amy Miller, and under her guidance the center holds classes and retreats, continuing a tradition that began with its founding. Classes are offered for all levels, from beginner to experienced, and range from a few hours to as long as a week. The classes also cover a wide range of approaches and subjects, from learning meditation to battling addiction and

transforming negative energy. That diversity is reflected in the Center’s goal, which Administrative Manager Kimberly Fitzmorgan said is to, “help people deal with life, stress and negative emotions better.” The Milarepa Center is part of the Buddhist school of Maha Yana, one of the four schools that are of the same lineage as the original Dalai Lama. The Center has changed significantly since its founding. Four small living huts have been built, as well as a meditation hall and the addition of a dining hall to the

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original farmhouse, which now has running water and electricity. But one thing has not changed: The Center’s Buddhist commitment to compassion and the search for wisdom.■

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Bees Buzz With Spirits & Health By Mary Sendobry

Todd

Hardie began distilling gin and vodka in 2007 in Hardwick, Vt. Last year, his Barr Hill Honey Gin, made from 5 percent raw honey, was one of only three double-gold winners at the 2012 New York International Spirits Competition. Although he has barely broken into the New England market, Hardie’s spirits are being sold internationally in Japan, and Barr Hill Gin and Vodka will be in liquor stores in China by the end of the year. Hardie owes much of his success to an unusual group: Colonies of tiny Russian honeybees he keeps on the distillery property. Beekeeping was Hardie’s first passion. After buying his first beehive at the age of 12, he and his brother fell in love with the angelic insects. “We were intrigued by how interesting they were, and beneficial,” he said. “They pollinated a lot of our food supply, and they made honey.” The boys immersed themselves

News Ink - Issue 2 - Treasures of the Northeast Kingdom

in bee literature, and Hardie came to realize that bees were his life’s calling. “We learned about pollen, and propolis, and beeswax, and raw honey, and bee venom,” he said. “All those things they give us are very good for our community, and we were intrigued by that. And so I’ve always been with them for the last 48 years.” The Hardie family emigrated from Scotland in 1817, when Hardie’s great – great-great grandfather, John Hardie, arrived in New York. Unable to find work

in the big city, he moved to Alabama and started a farm. His son, John, became a cotton farmer in Arkansas, and is the author of a quote that adorns the Barr Hill products: “The best fertilizer was the footprint of the farmer.” That dedication to the land is Todd Hardie’s inspiration. He is committed to remaining close to the land he tills and the products he sells. He understands that care and patience are vital to the success of a farm. He is determined to persevere so that he can build a lasting business that he can pass on to the next generation. “So my great grandfather’s quote is on our bottle,” he said. “And that’s all about relationships, relationship with the

“Raw honey is a medicine and a food as well as a sweetener. Raw honey is a medicine because it has enzymes in it, and it’s a food because it has minerals and vitamins.” -Todd Hardie, Caledonia Spirits and Winery market, just taking care of our people, working with our bees, and having relationships working with our stores and customers.” In an effort to remain as close to the land as possible, Hardie breeds only Russian bees. The bees have a natural ability to eliminate mites in the hives, allowing beekeepers to avoid using harsh pesticides on them. “They learned to groom each other,” Hardie said, “The worker bees would groom the back of the sister bees and get mites off of their backs and kick the mites out of the hive.”

Hardie believes that the ability to work with bees naturally is the key to the future of bee breeding around the world. And although he has worked with other types of bees, he finds the Russian bees are the best suited for the chilly Vermont climate and harsh winters. “They have a small population for over-wintering,” he said, “and they don’t use a lot of honey in the winter so they are very thrifty.” For Hardie, the most important aspect of beekeeping is the health benefit that bees and their products provide. His company, Caledonia Spirits and Winery,

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produces only raw organic honey. “Raw honey is a medicine and a food as well as a sweetener,” he said, “Raw honey is a medicine because it has enzymes in it, and it’s a food because it has minerals and vitamins.” Raw honey is thicker and has a creamier taste than processed, storebought honey, and although many people enjoy honey in a hot cup of tea, Hardie warns of the negative effects of heating honey. “When you heat honey,” he said, “you hurt it, and it becomes dead honey.” Any health benefit that would be received from honey is destroyed when it is heated, leaving only a sweetener. Bee venom is also very beneficial to humans. If someone is not allergic to bees, a bee sting can actually aid in curing various ailments. “The bee venom stimulates your immune system,” he said, “and brings warm, clean blood to the surface of where you get stung, and releases chemicals in your body that are very good for you.” Hardie firmly believes in the power of bee venom. “I think getting stung by a bee, if you aren’t allergic,” he said, “ is one of the best things you can do for your body.” At his distillery, Hardie offers people the opportunity to receive bee stings if they suffer from certain types of chronic diseases. Those who are sick are stung four to six times at the place on their body where it would be most

“We heard the voice of my ancestors, who were distillers in Scotland,” he said. “My ancestors have long been farmers that made value out of products.” -Todd Hardie, Caledonia Spirits and Winery beneficial in aiding the immune system. For example, if someone were suffering from Lyme’s disease, they would receive four bee stings around the lower abdomen and two on their lower back. They would then continue to receive regular bee stings every three days in combination with a healthy diet, until they were cured. “Most people, if they improve their diet, drink better water, and become happier,” he said, “can get over their Lyme’s disease.” Although Hardie has not recently had anyone ask to be stung, he claims that four people have been cured of Lyme’s disease with stings from his bees.

After graduating from the Cornell School of Agriculture, Hardie, who is originally from Franklin, Vt., moved to Hardwick to continue his beekeeping. The closeknit agricultural community appealed to him. “The people were in relationship with the land and each other,” Hardie said. “They collaborated, and that was all very interesting to me. It’s important.” Hardie works closely with other Vermont businesses, including Vermont Soy and Jasper Hill Cheese. The business

News Ink - Issue 2 - Treasures of the Northeast Kingdom

owners meet regularly to discuss opportunities for expansion and challenges each company faces. A cheese maker will ask how to expand their business in a sustainable way, while another business might

introduce plans to build a facility that produces energy from methane from manure. The collaboration provides a support structure for the companies to lean on in tough times. Hardie is now known for his Barr Hill Gin, Vodka and Elderberry Cordial. Hardie thinks the 5-percent honey softens the edges of the alcohol in his Barr Hill Gin. His Barr Hill Vodka is made from 100-percent raw honey. Hardie felt that distilling was a natural direction for his honey business. During the winter, a beekeeper can lose up to half of the bees in the colony, along with their honey, and he wanted to find a way to make the most of the honey that remained. Hardie looked to his heritage for inspiration. “We heard the voice of my ances-

tors, who were distillers in Scotland,” he said. “My ancestors have long been farmers that made value out of products.” Caledonia Spirits and Winery is looking to expand throughout the country, as well as other parts of the world. According to Hardie, the company faces one major challenge - cash flow. Although demand is increasing for his products, money is not pouring into the company. “As we grow, you know, it takes a lot of money to buy glass and payroll,” he said. “You got to have a team to go out there and market, but in the early years your sales don’t support that, so you have to find a way to finance that.” For now, Hardie and his company are focusing on producing awardwinning spirits. With a recent proposal from NBC to make a movie about Hardie and his distillery, as well as an upcoming marketing trip to China with the governor of Vermont, the future is buzzing with opportunity.■ Sources Mary Sendobry Sources Honey 1. www.caledoniaspirits.com Brad Hickox Sources 1. (http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/geo/pdfdocs/ Mills_1951_1.pdf).” 2. (http://asenseofslatebynate.wordpress.com/willoughby-notch-glacial-geomorphology/).” 3. (http://oldstonehousemuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/oshspring09.pdf).” 4. (http://www.nhmountainhiking.com/hike/pisgah2/ directions.html).

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Patrick Hilton Sources Town Meeting 1. Vermont Secretary of State Website. http://www.sec. state.vt.us/townmeeting/citizens_guide.html 21 V.S.A. § 472b. Wildflower Inn 1. (http://www.travelthekingdom.com/) 2. (http://www.travelthekingdom.com/) 3. (http://www.vermontchildrenstheater.com/) Photos:On-site photos of the Wildflower Inn on iPhone, Mountain biking lift service at Burke: http://www.7dvt.com/files/lift-burke.jpg, Kingdom trails, with biker: http://mfrbiking.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/ dscn0701.jpg, Lake Willoughby, reflection: http:// www.craftsbury.com/blogs/grp/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/lake-willoughby-reflection-523357-sw. jpg, Stepping stone Spa: http://media.merchantcircle. com/86613/Jim’s%20Assignment%20019_full.jpeg Aerial view of Wildflower inn: http://www.adfmedia. org/files/wildflowerinn_aerial3HR.jpg Sam Spaulding Sources 1.https://www.wind-watch.org/newsarchive/2011/02/15/shumlin-administration-wants-to-identify-areas-off-limits-to-wind-energy/ 2.http://newarkneighborsunited.blogspot.com/ 3.http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120607/GREEN01/120607003/In-Vermontwind-debate-breeze-stiffens 4.http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20130304/NEWS07/303040004/Town-MeetingDay-Wind-energy-on-the-agenda 5.http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20130305/NEWS02/303050010/Newark-voters-establish-legal-fund-to-oppose-commercial-wind 6.http://vtdigger.org/2013/03/08/in-northeast-kingdom-wind-power-brings-in-tax-cuts-and-rising-legalfees/ 7.http://fiwn.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/httpcaledoni/ 8.http://savethesenecas.wordpress.com/lawsuits/ Taylor Young Sources Bread and Puppet 1. http://breadandpuppet.org/about-bread-and-puppet/ other-links/peter-schumann 2. http://breadandpuppet.org/about-bread-and-puppet/ other-links/peter-schumann 3. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1125318?uid =3739952&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3 739256&sid=21101975578063

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